In existing data communications systems, a transmitter and receiver modem pair can successfully communicate only when the modems are compatible at the physical layer. That is, the modems must use compatible modulation methods. This requirement is generally true regardless of the network topology. For example, point-to-point, dial-up modems operate in either the industry standard V.34 mode or the industry standard V.22 mode. Similarly, in a multipoint architecture, all modems operate, for example, in the industry standard V.27bis mode. While the modems may be capable of using several different modulation methods, a single common modulation is negotiated at the beginning of a data session to be used throughout the duration of the session. Should it become necessary to change modulation methods, the existing data session is torn down, and a new session is negotiated using the new modulation method. Clearly, tearing down an existing data session causes a significant disruption in communication between the two modems.
As discussed in the foregoing, communication between modems is generally unsuccessful unless a common modulation method is used. In a point-to-point network architecture, if a modem attempts to establish a communication session with an incompatible modem, one or both of the modems will make several attempts to establish the communication link until giving up after a timeout period has expired or the maximum number of retry attempts has been reached. Essentially, communication on the link is impossible without replacing one of the modems such that the resulting modem pair uses a common modulation method.
In a multipoint architecture, a single central, or “master,” modem communicates with two or more tributary or “trib” modems using a single modulation method. If one or more of the trib modems are not compatible with the modulation method used by the master, those tribs will be unable to receive communications from the master. Moreover, repeated attempts by the master to communicate with the incompatible trib(s) will disturb communications with compatible trib(s) due to time wasted in making the futile communication attempts.
Thus, communication systems comprised of both high performance and low or moderate performance applications can be very cost inefficient to construct. For example, some applications (e.g., internet access) require high performance modulation, such as quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), carrier amplitude and phase (CAP) modulation, or discrete multitone (DMT) modulation, while other applications (e.g., power monitoring and control) require only modest data rates and therefore a low performance modulation method. All users in the system will generally have to be equipped with a high performance modem to ensure modulation compatibility. These state of the art modems are then run at their lowest data rates for those applications that require relatively low data throughput performance. The replacement of inexpensive modems with much more expensive state of the art devices due to modulation compatibility imposes a substantial cost that is unnecessary in terms of the service and performance to be delivered to the end user.
Accordingly, what is sought, and what is not believed to be provided by the prior art, is a system and method of communication in which multiple modulation methods are used to facilitate communication among a plurality of modems in a network, which have heretofore been incompatible.